Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) and SSRN are pleased to announce Prairie View A&M University as the 2023 WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award winner for the North America region. The WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award series elevates the visibility of impact-focused research and the institutions that conduct it. Each year, awards are presented to rising business schools to highlight their innovation and research excellence.

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l to r: Gregg Gordon, Managing Director, SSRN | Bob Zarazowski, Managing Director, Wharton Research Data Services, The Wharton School | Serguei Netessine, Senior Vice Dean for Innovation and Global Initiatives, The Wharton School | Dr. Munir Quddus, Dean, College of Business, Prairie View A&M University (Photo: Business Wire)

Dr. Munir Quddus, Dean of the College of Business at Prairie View A&M University, was presented the award during an exclusive event hosted by WRDS. Throughout this event, Deans from 200+ peer institutions across 40+ countries engaged with the innovative creators of new technology redefining higher education.

‘’I am thrilled that the College of Business at Prairie View A&M University has been selected to receive this prestigious award,” said Dr. Munir Quddus, Dean, College of Business. “Over the years, we have had a number of professors in accounting, finance and related areas who have used WRDS and large data banks such as Compustat to support their research. Given the additional emphasis by AACSB International on publishing in “high quality” journals, and the rapid increase in the availability and use of “big data” and analytical tools, the need for platforms like WRDS which democratize and facilitates access to complex data has increased dramatically in recent years. In the PVAMU College of business, faculty have used these platforms for their research in diverse disciplines such as accounting, finance, economics, banking, insurance, marketing and statistics. As a result, we have been increasingly sharing our pre-publication research on SSRN with other scholars. In fact, over the past few years we have gradually risen in SSRN’s “Top 500 Business Schools” rankings to 64 in recent weeks.”

“Supporting and advancing research is at the heart of what we do at WRDS,” said Bob Zarazowski, Managing Director, WRDS. “It is wonderful to be able to honor Prairie View A&M University for its commitment to growth and innovation in academic research.” As a part of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, WRDS provides global institutions with targeted solutions that underpin research, reinforce learning, and enable discovery. As the world becomes more connected and the impact of policy reaches across borders, equity and access become more essential to research. WRDS is proud to play a leading role in reshaping how research, data access and researcher recognition can better reflect and support a truly global and networked community.

“Congratulations to Dr. Munir Quddus, Dean of the College of Business and all of the researchers at Prairie View A&M University,” said Gregg Gordon. “SSRN is excited to continue to partner with WRDS and provide greater visibility to business schools doing important research, like Prairie View A&M University, through this innovation award and the WRDS Research Paper Series on SSRN.”

Together, WRDS and SSRN are advancing impact-focused research, changing policy and practice at regulatory, national, and global levels.

About WRDS

For 25+ years, Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) has supported users with targeted solutions that underpin research, reinforce learning, and enable discovery. WRDS advances comprehensive thought leadership for 500+ institutions in 38+ countries—democratizing data access and giving users the power to analyze complex information through curated Classroom Teaching guides, Video Learning Pathways, Analytics/Linking tools, and Research Applications. WRDS resources map to Accreditation Standards, impacting an institution’s trajectory from learning and discovery to research and publication. WRDS is proud to play a leading role in reshaping how research, data access and researcher recognition can better reflect and support a truly global and networked community. www.whartonwrds.com

About the Wharton School

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

About SSRN

SSRN is an open-access online preprint community providing valuable services to leading academic schools and government institutions. Specializing primarily in social sciences, including economics, law, corporate governance, and humanities, SSRN has grown to become the most interdisciplinary service of its kind. Representing disciplines across the full research spectrum, including the applied sciences, health sciences, humanities, life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences, SSRN provides opportunities for scholars to post their early research, collaborate on theories and discoveries, and get credit for their ideas before peer reviewed publication.

About Elsevier

As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems. Elsevier employs 8,700 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years.

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